Roxana teachers reject contract offer

Susie Walker, a negotiation spokesperson for the REA said that 85 percent of the 119 assembled teachers voted against the board’s “last and final offer.” She said that 28 voted no — due to contract language, two voted no — due to monetary issues and 68 voted no for a combination of the two reasons.

The contract language Walker described involved filling vacancies within the district. Under the board’s offer, teachers within the district would be considered for a vacant position the same amount as someone applying outside of the district.

“You hire within before you look outside the district,” Walker said after the vote.

The monetary issues included $30 million in new money for the district from the Wood River Oil Refinery. Walker also added that the board’s offer did not offer teachers enough money compared to administrative salaries.

“We have 67 teachers in the district with a Master’s level degree or above,” she said. “Some of our teachers have two or three degrees with multiple certifications. What I am saying is that we have invested a lot into our educations.”

The rejection of the offer does not necessarily guarantee a strike, however.

“If the board says, ‘We gave you our last and final offer, that’s it,’ then we move to strike,” Walker said. “But, no one wants that to happen. It is a lose-lose situation. No one wins in a strike.”

Walker said that the next step is to plea for the board to return to the negotiating table. She said that such negotiations may take place next week if things go well.

“We could have had a vote to strike today if we wanted,” she said. “I really would like to negotiate some more, however.”

If negotiations falter, a possible strike could occur within 10 days. Walker said that neither the REA or the Roxana Board of Education want such an event to occur. She said that she hopes that a deal can be reached soon to prevent a strike from happening.